TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan is confronting a significant shortage of antiviral drugs, leaving many clinics and patients without the necessary medications. Deputy Spokesperson Wang Ming-yuan (王明媛) of the Taipei Pharmacists Association (台北市藥師公會) reported that while large hospitals have secured their supplies through contracts with manufacturers, smaller clinics and community pharmacies are struggling to obtain adequate medicines.
The core issue is that over 90% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) used in Taiwan are imported, with less than 10% produced domestically. According to the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations (中華民國藥師公會全聯會), nearly half of these APIs come from China, while Japan and India supply 17.61% and 9.98%, respectively.
Deputy Head Wu Ming-mei (吳明美) of the Medical Products Division of the Food and Drug Administration (食藥署) clarified that Taiwan also imports significant amounts of key medicine ingredients from countries like India, Spain, and Italy, noting that the actual percentage of APIs from China is just over 30%, which suggests that earlier figures may have been misinterpreted.
Despite reassurances from the FDA, the medicine shortage remains critical, with many medications becoming increasingly difficult to source. Frontline pharmacists are advocating for the establishment of a dedicated drug shortage office to oversee and address these challenges.
Director-general Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁) of the Taiwan College of Healthcare Executive (台灣醫務管理學會) has called on the government to develop a comprehensive strategy for securing medication and API sources during crises, including guidance for domestic manufacturers to produce these essential components.